3 suspects at large after "hot prowl" burglary at occupied Palo Alto home
Police in Palo Alto are searching for three male suspects in connection with a "hot prowl" burglary of an occupied residents Friday evening, according to authorities.
According to a press release issued by the Palo Alto Police Department, on Friday at around 7:30 p.m., police dispatch received a report from an individual at a home in the 700 block of Center Drive who told police that someone had just broken into the house while they were inside.
Palo Alto police officers responded immediately, but the suspects had already fled by the time they arrived at the scene.
Police investigation revealed that the occupant, a woman in her forties, had been housesitting at the residence for a friend. She told officers she at first heard noises in the backyard and then the sound of voices talking before she heard the sound of glass breaking. She said she went to investigate and came face-to-face with a stranger inside the living room.
The woman immediately ran into a bedroom and locked the door before calling 9-1-1.
Officers reviewed surveillance footage and were able to determine that three male suspects wearing all dark clothing got out of a dark-colored sedan parked on the street before entering the home after breaking the glass of a sliding door in the rear yard.
The suspects left the scene three minutes later in the sedan heading westbound on Dana Avenue. Officers also discovered that the suspects had entered the rear yard after breaking a latch on a locked side gate to access the property.
Police said they were not releasing the surveillance footage at this time. The occupant described the suspect she encountered as a male wearing dark clothing, a face mask, and a beanie. Police said so far they have not determined if the suspects stole any property during the incident as they only had time to rummage through a couple of rooms before fleeing.
Palo Alto police are actively investigating the crime. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call teh PAPD 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.